Correction: In a moment of beer over-zealousness, a previous version of this story misstated the date of National Beer Day. National Beer Day is Saturday.

In five years, Southwest Florida's brewery scene has grown — infinitely.

Through much of 2012 the area had nothing. Craft beer meant a six-pack of Sierra Nevada from Publix or a trip to the still-novel World of Beer in south Fort Myers.

Naples Beach Brewery entered the market that December, offering tours of its then-tiny warehouse space, and free beer samples if you bought a souvenir pint glass. Fort Myers Brewing followed in February 2013, bringing with it food trucks and a supply-closet of a tasting room set with a few wooden picnic tables.

But once the beer started flowing, a veritable deluge ensued.

Bury Me Brewing and Point Ybel joined the party, followed by Momentum in Bonita Springs and Fat Point in Punta Gorda and Old Soul in Fort Myers.

Fast forward five years, and 16 breweries call this area home, with at least three more in the works.

In honor of National Beer Day on Saturday we bring these 16 breweries to you: The stories behind them, the people who run them, the beers for which they're best known. We know these places well, after all. We spent much of last year visiting and profiling every brewery in town for our Behind the Brewery series. Those profiles are summarized below.

Consider this your guide to beer that's from here. We even have an interactive map of Southwest Florida's breweries, bottle shops and beer halls (in case you get lost).

So, settle in, crack open a cold one, and figure out where your next cold one's being crafted.

Big Blue Brewing

A lower-proof sister to Cape Coral's award-winning Wicked Dolphin Rum Distillery, Big Blue has nabbed some major hardware of its own. Just last month it won Best Brewpub in Florida and Best Beer in Florida at the Best Florida Beer Championships in Tampa, two of the event's top honors. It won the latter for its Lightest Thing Ya Got, an American-style cream ale. Big Blue isn't just a beer place. It's a restaurant and music venue, as well, with locally sourced ingredients on the menu and local and national acts on the stage.

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Big Blue Brewing has five of their own beers on tap at a time. The have four core beers and one rotating seasonal beer.(Photo: Amanda Inscore/The News-Press)

Big Storm

The newest brewery on these blocks, Big Storm is hardly new to Florida. Founded in Clearwater in 2012, the brand also has locations in Odessa and, as of February, Cape Coral. Big Storm took over the old Cape Coral Brewing Co. space following its closure in October. Big Storm plans to resurrect the Cape Coral Brewing brand down the road, and has retained its head brewer, Chris Hart, on staff.

Bone Hook

Brew master Josh Deitner's last gig was in China, where he spent almost four years as the head brewer for Shanghai Brewery, at one time the country's largest craft beer maker. A self-professed beer nerd, Deitner has an eye for the process and for how tweaks to each step affect the end product.

Beers from Bone Hook Brewing in North Naples.(Photo: Logan Newell/Special to The News)

Bury Me Brewing

Started inside the old House of Brewz at Gulf Coast Town Center, Bury Me moved to the City of Fort Myers in 2016, becoming the first local brewery to operate within city limits. Bury Me takes its names from owners Barry Schrayer and Mee Wichitsakulrat. But had they named it Barry Mee, the casket tap handles and mobile, beer-pouring hearse might seem a bit much.

Fat Point Brewing

Opened by racecar-engineer-turned-brewmaster Bill Frazer in August 2014, Fat Point joined forces with Big Storm Brewing in spring 2017. The merger helped Punta Gorda's original craft brewery avoid closure. Fat Point's core lineup of beers are now brewed in Big Storm's 16,000 square foot, state-of-the-art brewing facility in Clearwater. That frees up the Punta Gorda brewery for small-batch research and development.

The brewery is installing small batch tanks to get back to inventing new flavors of beer in house. Now that large batch brewing is done up north on their more popular beers, Fat Point can get back to inventing new flavors. Behind The Brewery series: Fat Point Brewing in Punta Gorda. Andrea Melendez/The News-Press

Fort Myers Brewing

Lee County's first microbrewery turned 5 this February, and to celebrate it tapped 55 of its favorite crafts from throughout the years. Owner-brewer Rob Whyte is prolifically talented, as is his business partner and wife, Jen Gratz-Whyte. The pair have transformed this out-of-the-way industrial park into a craft-beer destination that won the honor of Best Brewery in Florida in 2016.

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A handful of craft beers from Fort Myers Brewing Co. are displayed along the bar, which is the first craft brewery to open in Lee County. Owners Rob Whyte and Jennifer Whyte, have expanded their facility to accomodate the growth in foot traffic.(Photo: Ricardo Rolon / The News-Press)

Millennial Brewing Co.

The first craft brewery in downtown Fort Myers, despite its young name, Millennial prides itself on being a place for all. The brewery welcomes kids and families with bounce houses and board games. Its special events cater to vegans, dog lovers and trivia junkies, alike. Its owners have transformed an old carpet warehouse into a downtown gathering spot with a little something for everyone.

Momentum Brewhouse

Step into Momentum Brewhouse in Bonita Springs and it's obvious: The place has style. It's in the sleek, upscale-minimalist look of the tasting room. It's in the on-trend orange accents and the industrial detailing. But it's also in the beer. "We keep everything simple but with a little bit of flair," Momentum's owner Brian Hahn said. "Simple and clean." Hahn's beers have earned multiple medals. He started out as a home brewer, and has amassed a catalog of more than 78 brews over the years.

Naples Beach Brewery

The Southwest Florida original, Will Lawson helped pave the way for every other brewery in town. Lawson trained at the Siebel Institute in Chicago, the almost 150-year-old school dedicated to brewing research and education. His studies took him to Munich to apprentice with a brewmaster. Lawson knows the classics, and he's brought in creative talent to give them unique twists.

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Will Lawson founded Naples Beach Brewery in December 2012. It was the first craft brewery to open in Southwest Florida.(Photo: Andrea Melendez/The News-Press)

Old Soul Brewing Co.

This family-run brewhouse believes individualism is the key. "An old soul is a person who is wise beyond their years," owner-brewmaster Mike Schmidt said, "someone who has some intuitiveness, is bohemian and individual." That ethos is embodied in Old Soul's adventurous combinations: blood orange and black pepper, or a watermelon gose with hints of sea salt and coriander.

Palm City Brewing

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Palm City Brewing Co. is in San Carlos Park.(Photo: Amanda Inscore/The News-Press)

Owner and brewmaster Ryan Bowen got his start as a home brewer. His very first beer was a hefeweizen, and it was "awful," as Bowen put it. Several years and thousands of hours of work later, awful has evolved, as has Bowen. Palm City's lineup features several dozen of Bowen's crafts, up to 18 of which may be on tap at any time. Palm City's taproom is airy, open and family friendly, but Bowen believes good beer is what brings people back.

Peace River Beer Co.

From the same owners of Bury Me Brewing, Peace River serves its own lineup of craft ales as well as favorite core beers and limited releases from Bury Me. Just the second brewery in Charlotte County, Peace River's canoes and wood-carved Indians give the space a rustic, camp-like vibe. Open since December, early favorites include its pale ale, Irish red and rye IPA.

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Bill Vaughan is opening Peace River Beer Company in Punta Gorda. They will have several beers on tap including a porter, white IPA, gose, American wheat, rye IPA, American strong ale, coffee coconut brown ale and an Irish red. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press

Peace River Beer Company in Punta Gorda has several different types of beer. Many will be lower in alcohol than their sister brewery, Bury Me Brewing, and the brewery will be more family friendly. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press

Peace River Beer Company in Punta Gorda has several different types of beer. Many will be lower in alcohol than their sister brewery, Bury Me Brewing, and the brewery will be more family friendly. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press

Bill Vaughan pours a beer at Peace River Beer Company in Punta Gorda. They will have several beers on tap including a porter, white IPA, gose, American wheat, rye IPA, American strong ale, coffee coconut brown ale and an Irish red. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press

Peace River Beer Company in Punta Gorda has several different types of beer. Many will be lower in alcohol than their sister brewery, Bury Me Brewing, and the brewery will be more family friendly. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press

Point Ybel Brewing

With its funky island vibe and never-ending lineup of talented musicians, Point Ybel Brewing Co. in south Fort Myers has become one of the area's coolest brewhouses. But its owners insist they're actually a bunch of nerds. "We're kind of the beer nerds of brewing," Walt Costello admits. That nerdiness translates into a unique, wide-ranging set of beers, from the gold-medal winning Jackfruit Sour to the flagship Snook Bite IPA and even ales infused with cannabis (the non-THC kind).

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Point Ybel Brewing Co. released a new beer infused with cannabis terpenes called SOWFLO IPA.
Amanda Inscore/news-press.com

Riptide Brewing

The Kraken, a double IPA at Riptide Brewing.(Photo: David Albers/Naples Daily News)

The brewery's California-cool vibe comes from its owners' Southern California roots. The idea for Riptide was born at a high school reunion in San Diego. That idea has turned into a craft brewhouse with an array of beers ranging from the best-selling, easy-sipping Paddlepuss blonde ale to the much bolder, much darker Kraken double IPA.

Scotty's Bierwerks

Owner and brewmaster Scott Melick applied the same strategies that made him a successful businessman to his brewery. His 20-barrel system is one of the largest in town. His beers tend to be more traditional, no add-on flavors just what naturally comes from his blends of hops and yeast. His dunkelweizen has notes of clove and banana. His hefeweizen has hints of vanilla.

South Cypress

This may be the best kept secret on the local brewery circuit. Tucked inside The Brass Tap, a craft beer bar and restaurant in North Naples, South Cypress only brews a few-dozen gallons at a time. That's enough beer to keep customers at The Brass Tap happy, but not enough for distribution. About 10 Brass Tap taps are devoted to South Cypress' brews, but those 10 taps account for 40 percent of the bar's sales.

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South Cypress Brewing has several different types of beer on tap.(Photo: Amanda Inscore/The News-Press)

Coming soon

Coastal Dayz Brewery: Under constructions since summer, Fort Myers' latest brewery plans to open this month in a 2,200-square-foot space at 2161 McGregor Blvd. near downtown. Owners Lisa and Gary Bethune hail from Golden, Colorado, where Gary, a longtime home brewer, spent 20 years working as an engineer for one of the world's largest beer manufacturers. Lisa called her husband a beer traditionalist. Expect a blonde ale, a hibiscus wheat, porters and stouts. Coastal Dayz will also have a 900-square-foot outdoor patio overlooking McGregor.

Eight-Foot Brewing: Owner-brewmaster Roger Phelps is keeping the exact location and timeline for his forthcoming brewery under wraps. A sign at Palm City Brewing in San Carlos Park puts Eight-Foot 12 miles away from it. Given Phelps' history of hosting beer classes at Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, which is about 12 miles from Palm City, the greater Fort Myers area would be a safe bet for where Eight-Foot is putting down roots. Find more at eightfootbrewing.com.

The Southland Taproom:Billed as a craft-beer taproom and bottle shop, Southland is coming to south Fort Myers in late summer or early fall. Inspired by time working and vacationing in Asheville, North Carolina, owner Tommy Johnson plans to have 24 taps, plus an array of chilled and non-chilled inventory for sale. Johnson, who's lived in Fort Myers for more than a decade, holds a certificate in the business of craft beer from Portland State University and is a certified craft-beer server through Cicerone. Johnson said Southland's focus will be on crafts from Florida and throughout the Southeast.

Ankrolab Brewing: This long-awaited East Naples craft brewery hopes to open by winter next to Taqueria San Julian on Bayshore Drive. Ankrolab will be family and pet-friendly, featuring a large outdoor beer garden. The architect, Naples-based HLevel, received an unbuilt design award from the American Institute of Architecture for this project, co-owner Adam Kelley said. Kelley called the brewing facility state of the art. The brewery will also feature parking for food trucks. Find more at facebook.com/ankrolab.

Ankrolab Brewing Co. is planned next to San Julian Taqueria on Bayshore Drive in East Naples.(Photo: Ankrolab Brewing Co.)

Bottle shops and beer bars

No. 3 Craft Brews: For beer lovers who enjoy a variety of brews, there is No. 3. This Cape Coral bottle shop, opened in July 2015, focuses on American craft beers in a range of styles. Think stouts, porters, browns, IPAs, wheats, sours and a cider on his rotating tap lines. The bottles lining the walls are available for sale, as well. (1319 Cape Coral Parkway E., Cape Coral; 205-6394; no3brews.com)

Oil Well Craft Beer: Open since January 2017 near Ave Maria University in east Collier, Oil Well's 20 taps are dedicated to craft beers, many of them brewed locally. Its Oil Well IPA is brewed by Bone Hook in North Naples. (5334 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria; 354-4454; facebook.com/oilwellcraftbeer)

Marlins Brewhouse: Billed as a hyper-local taproom, Marlins features drafts from Bury Me, Fort Myers Brewing, Point Ybel, Scotty's, Momentum, Naples Beach and many more. The 5,500-square-foot space is shared by Chronic Tacos, a fast-casual chain out of Southern California. (5611 Six Mile Commercial Court, south Fort Myers; 220-5918; marlinsbrewhouse.com)

World of Beer: This Tampa-born chain is still a heavy hitter on the local beer scene. Its lineup features 500-some unique beers on any given day. (multiple locations; worldofbeer.com)

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HOP ON THE ALE TRAIL

Rewards for drinking beer? All you need is a passport — a SWFL Ale Trail passport, to be exact. The second volume of this popular local program debuted last month, featuring all of the open breweries profiled above. Ale Trail passports can be purchased at any local brewery for $13. Rewards include buy-one-get-one-free pints, souvenir pint glasses, growlers and more. Visit swflaletrail.com for details.